6 Weeks!

In 6 weeks...I'll be cruising!! Jealous? I would be! :)

Remembering my Grandpa :)

I should have posted this yesterday but I didn't get the chance. Yesterday was the anniversary of my Grandpa Hall's passing, it has been 12 long, but very fast years. I just couldn't believe it has been that long. I remember the whole thing as if it was yesterday. I was at college at Eastern Arizona and it was a Friday or Saturday night and we all went bowling then came back to the dorm to watch movies. This was back in the day where no one really had cell phones. We were back watching the movie and our phone rang. My mom and dad had been driving to reach me for a couple of hours. They were still living in St. Johns, and my dad just got back up there for the weekend. He was living down here at the time for his new job. They told me Grandpa was in the hospital and wasn't expected to make it through the night. I went into chaotic mode. I've never had anyone that close to me pass away. Well, my mom got my roommate Jennifer on the phone and told her to not let me drive, to wait until the morning when it was light, I obeyed, but I desperately wanted to be down in Mesa. I couldn't sleep at all, I didn't want to miss my chance at saying goodbye. I finally just left around 5:00 that morning and drove to Mesa General Hospital. I got there, and my Grandpa was up and awake and talking! It was a miracle! He just lost a day in his memory! We all stayed there and talked and told him we loved him. They found out he had a brain aneurysm and he needed surgery right away. They took him to Scottsdale and performed brain surgery. He was in his own room but sleeping. His poor head was cut open and stapled back, it was so sad. He stayed that way for a couple of weeks and never woke up. In the meantime I went back to college and of course checked on him as much as I could. April 17th, 1999, I was hanging out with my Faunce Cousins and we had a BBQ at Randy and Susan's. I even stole Jeff's truck and took it for a cruise and was having fun. We headed back to Mickey and Sylvia's house just to chat, and the phone rang. My mom had tracked me down...and gave me the news that Grandpa passed away. I was so glad that I was with my family so they could comfort me. They let me stay at their house that night. Sylvia drove me to my dorm room and I packed some things. I cried all night long. Poor Amber probably didn't get any sleep. The next day I didn't want to go to church since it was Stake Conference, but I went anyway. I sat with Jennifer and Lon and Jennifer just hugged me. She didn't need to say anything, but I'm glad she was there. Lisa and Mandy were gone for the weekend, but when they came back they hugged me too. I was so grateful for having friends and family at this time. The church was packed for his funeral. Everyone loved him. I love him. True they say he was a stubborn old man, but I wouldn't have him any other way. Growing up they lived right down the street so we would go over there and he would put old records on and he would dance and dance with Monika and I. Whenever he saw you he would grab you and hug you so tight you couldn't breath! Then his hearing aids would squeal! Oh I want to have a hug, or a dance, or hears those hearing aids buzz! I know he's in a better place and he's not suffering and I know I will see him again someday! I'm grateful to have amazing grandparents along with my parents and I love my family. Here's a picture of him and my grandma....not the best picture....but I can't find any on my computer :)

Conference

Conference was great as always! Two talks stuck out to me and I'm so glad I was able to listen to the prophets and church leaders. Elder Oaks and Elder Scott had marvelous talks to singles :) Maybe I wasn't listening these past 31 years, but this is one of the first times I've heard them address singles (I'm sure I wasn't listening before). I know that if I strive to live as best as I can and do all that is asked of me I will be blessed someday with a companion. Yes, I know this may not happen in this life, but it will happen. I also loved that they said to the men ...get out there and get married! Men in my age group just like to have fun I've noticed. They don't like to settle down, and I think this is going on with the YSA's too. I heard they were also told this in Priesthood session. True, there may be women out there that don't want to settle down either, but there are a lot of great women and men out there that are ready. I know several of them! It may not be me at this time, but there are great ones out there and I hope these men find them! I only want the best for my friends and I don't want us to settle, I want us to have spiritual giants because we deserve it! Thank you Elder Oaks and Elder Scott for remembering us and thank you Heavenly Father for answering prayers and guiding them to give these talks!

Flowers, Trees, and Lights Oh My!

So, if you're on Facebook, you get my updates there and here :) but I give more information on here :)

This weekend I've planted some flowers, a palm tree, and put my solar lights in the back. I had the solar lights out front when I first moved in, but a couple kept getting taken, or they just flew away??? So, I moved them in my garage for safe keeping. Now they are in their new home!

Oh, my grass is growing so good, thick and tall! I'm going to give it another week before I try to mow it. I really want to sod to be rooted! They said to give it 3 weeks, but I'm going to give it 4 ...just to be safe!

Here's my porch, all cleaned and organized. I think I'm going to get another cute chair, and of course a new BBQ! My BBQ was $2.50 at a yard sale, and it makes funny noises when it's on, so I got scared to use it. I love getting tax refunds! This is how I've been able to do everything in the back :)


This is our garden. We're getting some blooms and sprouts popping up! So excited. I put some of my extra solar lights around just for fun

This is my new cool shed. It took awhile for us to put together, but I love having it! It's housing all my yard stuff (tools, lawn mower, and yard decorations) It's nice having the extra storage. I also put some of the lights around :)




This is my cute little palm tree! It's only going to be about 3 feet to 6 feet :) I think it's so cute! Along with more solar lights!

Here are my new flowers. It's a really bad picture, but I have lilacs, lemon bottlebrush, and a honeysuckle :) And of course...more solar lights!

I wish everyone could come see it! It's awesome! I know I'm bragging, but I love it! Compared to what my house was like when I first saw it (I didn't even want to put an offer on it because it was so bad) I love it! The house was a diseaster and disgusting. The yard was horrible and full of crab weeds. I hated being out there...now Lucky and I like to be out there.

The only things I have left that I really WANT to do are 1) Paint the entire outside (this will be coming within the next 2 weeks and 2) Paint my laundry room (this won't be done until I have to get a new washer and dryer. I don't want to move everything out and back in. :)

Back Yard Transformation!

It's finally done! Kind of :) We have built an 8 X 4 garden, put a shed up, rototillered, leveled, dug trenches, laid sprinklers, leveled again, laid sod, put a border around the sod, put black plastic weed barrier, made a pathway of the old flagstones, and brought in gravel! I'm sure I've missed some of it, but the past 2 months have been work! But the work has paid off! I love the transformation! I love sitting outside now and enjoying my yard. Lucky hated being outside at first, but he loves to go out and lay on the grass too. I still have a sprinkler to fix, some flowers to plant, and the porch roof to fix (it leaks). Hopefully we can get that done in the morning before it rains, then it will be completed.

I want to thank my mom and dad so much for all they have done to help me with this! I couldn't have done it without them! They spared every weekend, weekdays and some nights over at my house and neglecting their house. But I hope they know it was worth it and I love it. Thank you so much!


Enjoy the picture overload of my back yard transformation!